Cole Miller funeral: "He is with us forever"

Geoff has been working for the QT since August 2011 covering Ipswich’s rural areas. He started working for APN in January 2010 with the Chinchilla News in western Queensland after growing up on a grain farm. Geoff spends his time out of work watching far too much sport following the Reds, the Broncos and various American teams.

A TEARFUL Steve Miller has farewelled his youngest son at a funeral in Brisbane.

Cole Miller died in hospital on January 4 after being punched during a night out in Brisbane.

In his eulogy at St Stephen's Cathedral in Brisbane Mr Miller remembered Cole as a loving young man whose family adored him.

"I could have written 50 pages a day since 10am on the 4th of January 2016 when our boy Cole was pronounced dead," he said.

"I could have written these 500 pages and still not had enough words about him."

With son's Billy and Mitchell by his side Mr Miller said the family had struggled to say goodbye to Cole.

"Mary-Leigh and I, Billy, Kate and Mitchell, will never get used to not having Cole around. And we do not wish to get used to not having Cole around. He is with us forever," he said.

He said Cole idolised his brother Billy and fell in love with water polo watching Billy at the London Olympics.

"Just before his 12th birthday he was the most excited and proudest boy in the world as we travelled to London to watch his oldeR brother Billy compete in the … Olympics," Mr Miller said.

He was his oldest brother's biggest fan. He idolised him."

He said "Punky", the family's nickname for Cole, was a much loved youngest child who grew up in a caring family.

"I had to share my little boy, my little boy Punky, with five others. He also shared their hearts," he said.

"Used to get called Punky … An affectionate nickname that stuck to this day."

Dozens stood in the wings and in an overflow room, where the ceremony was streamed, to say their farewells to Cole.

A portrait of 18 year-old one-punch victim Cole Miller is placed near the coffin during his funeral service in Brisbane, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. Cole died in hospital on January 4 from massive brain trauma a day after allegedly being hit in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.Dan Peled/AAP